page_title: Rana, Norway
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Rana, Norway / Geography
caption_attribution_description: The fjord Nordsjona in Rana, seen from south between Nesna and Mo i Rana, Nordland, Norway. Photo July 14, 2007 with a Nikon Coolpix 5600 5,1 Megapixel camera.
context_page_description: Rana is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mo i Rana, which houses the National Library of Norway. Other population centers in Rana include Båsmoen, Dunderland, Eiteråga, Flostrand, Hauknes, Mæla, Myklebustad, Nevernes, Røssvoll, Selfors, Skonseng, Storforshei, Utskarpen, and Ytteren.
  The 4,460-square-kilometre municipality is the 4th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Rana is the 44th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 26,184. This makes it the second largest municipality in Nordland county—and the third largest in North Norway. The municipality's population density is 6.2 inhabitants per square kilometre and its population has increased by 3.6% over the previous 10-year period. Rana was a part of the Terra Securities scandal in 2007 relating to some investments that were made by the municipality.
context_section_description: The municipality is located just south of the Arctic circle, on the southern side of the Saltfjellet mountains with the Svartisen glacier, Norway's second largest glacier.  Some of the large mountains in Rana include Bolna and Nasa.  Mo is so close to the Arctic Circle that parts of the sun is continuously over the horizon (Midnight sun) from early June to early July, and there is no darkness from mid-May to the beginning of August. But there is no true polar night in December.  The Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park is partly located in Rana. There are many valleys such as the Dunderland Valley and Grønnfjelldal.
  The majority of the population in the municipality lives in Mo i Rana, where the Ranelva (river) meets the Ranfjorden. North of Mo i Rana, the European route E6 highway passes through the suburb of Selfors.  In western Rana, the population centers around the Sjona fjord.
  Rana and Saltfjellet are famous for their numerous caves due to the limestone rock.  There are several nature reserves in the municipality, such as Alterhaug with several warmer-climate plants grow including the elm.  Engasjyen, the estuary of the Rana river, has a rich bird life in the spring.  Blakkådalen has old growth spruce forests.  Fisktjørna, has a largely undisturbed mixed old growth forest with unusually rich plant life due to the extremely lime-rich soil.
caption: The Sjona fjord, western part of Rana municipality.
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